Kanzi: The Ape at the Brink of the Human Mind
by Sue Savage-Rumbaugh
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Description
The remarkable story of a ""talking"" chimp, a leading scientist, and the profound insights they have uncovered about our species He has been featured in cover stories in Time, Newsweek, and National Geographic, and has been the subject of a ""NOVA"" documentary. He is directly responsible for discoveries that have forced the scientific community to recast its thinking about the nature of the mind and the origins of language. He is Kanzi, an extraordinary bonobo chimpanzee who has overturned show more the idea that symbolic language is unique to our species. This is the moving story of how Kanzi learned to converse with humans and the profound lessons he has taught us about our animal cousins, and ourselves. "". . . The underlying thesis is informative and well argued . . . Savage-Rumbaugh's results are impressive."" -- The Washington Post ""This popular, absorbing, and controversial account is recommended."" -- Library Journal show lessTags
Recommendations
Member Reviews
The subject matter was entertaining, but at times the writing style was a bit boring. With that said, it's non-fiction and I spend most of my reading time in the world of fiction so I suppose the book deserves a break.
I'm sure this one will have more staying power than a good yarn, even if I needed to read it while the sun was up to avoid the old head-bob routine.
I'm sure this one will have more staying power than a good yarn, even if I needed to read it while the sun was up to avoid the old head-bob routine.
Key Ideas:
1. Motivation is key to learning. Teaching an animal or a human language skills is difficult unless the subject wants to communicate something of importance (i.e. play with me, give me food, etc.)
2. Intelligence and language depend on the understanding that there are others who have minds that do not know what you know.
Chapters 9 "The Origin of Language" and Chapter 10 "At the Brink of the Human Mind" are particularly interesting and I plan to reread.
1. Motivation is key to learning. Teaching an animal or a human language skills is difficult unless the subject wants to communicate something of importance (i.e. play with me, give me food, etc.)
2. Intelligence and language depend on the understanding that there are others who have minds that do not know what you know.
Chapters 9 "The Origin of Language" and Chapter 10 "At the Brink of the Human Mind" are particularly interesting and I plan to reread.
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3 Works 171 Members
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Statistics
- Members
- 118
- Popularity
- 275,856
- Reviews
- 2
- Rating
- (4.05)
- Languages
- English, German
- Media
- Paper, Ebook
- ISBNs
- 5
- ASINs
- 1
